Italian Chicken Stew with Tomato and Red Wine

Italian Chicken Stew with Tomato and Red Wine

Italian Chicken Stew with Tomato and Red Wine is a simple, comforting recipe made with a few traditional ingredients and plenty of flavor.

This is the kind of dish that reminds me of home cooking: chicken slowly cooked in a rich tomato sauce until tender and juicy. In my version, I use red wine, bay leaf, rosemary and freshly grated lemon zest, which gives the sauce a lovely aromatic note.

I prefer to use whole peeled tomatoes and blend them myself rather than using ready-made tomato passata. I also don’t add stock: the chicken cooks gently in the tomato sauce, with just a little hot water if needed.

Serve it piping hot with some good crusty bread. You will definitely want it for the sauce!

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1 kg (2.2 lb) chicken pieces
• 400 g (14 oz) canned whole peeled tomatoes
• 1 onion
• 1 celery stalk
• 1 garlic clove
• 100 ml (about ⅓ cup + 1 tbsp) red wine
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• finely grated zest of ½ lemon
• salt, to taste
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• a little hot water, only if needed

How to Make Italian Chicken Stew

Prepare the soffritto

Finely chop the onion, carrot and celery.

Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large saucepan or deep skillet. Add the chopped vegetables together with the garlic, rosemary and bay leaf.

Then add the finely grated lemon zest.

Cook gently for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Keep the heat low enough to soften the vegetables without browning or burning them.

Brown the chicken

Add the chicken pieces to the pan.

Brown them well on all sides, turning them several times until they develop a nice golden color.

This step is important because browning the chicken adds extra flavor to the finished dish.

Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Pour in the red wine and let it cook until the alcohol has evaporated.

Add the tomatoes

Blend the whole peeled tomatoes until smooth.

Pour them over the chicken and gently stir everything together.

Cover the pan and cook over medium-low heat for approximately 40–45 minutes, turning the chicken pieces occasionally.

I don’t use broth or stock for this recipe. However, if the sauce becomes too thick before the chicken is fully cooked, simply add a small amount of hot water.

Reduce the sauce

During the last few minutes of cooking, remove the lid.

Allow the sauce to gently reduce until it becomes rich and slightly thick, coating the chicken beautifully.

Serve the Italian chicken stew hot with plenty of crusty bread to soak up the tomato sauce.

Tips for Tender Chicken Stew

Don’t rush the cooking process. Cooking the chicken gently over medium-low heat helps keep the meat tender and allows it to absorb all the flavors of the sauce.

Also, make sure you brown the chicken properly before adding the wine and tomatoes. This simple step makes a noticeable difference to the final flavor.

The lemon zest is one of the little details that makes this version special. Grate only the yellow part of the peel, avoiding the bitter white pith.

You don’t need much: the zest of half a lemon is enough to add freshness and aroma without overpowering the tomato, red wine and herbs.

What to Serve with Italian Chicken Stew

This chicken is delicious served with simple side dishes such as roasted or sautéed vegetables, potatoes or a fresh green salad.

However, my favorite accompaniment is simply good rustic bread. The tomato sauce is far too good to leave on the plate!

How to Store It

Store leftover chicken stew in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Reheat it gently in a saucepan together with its sauce until thoroughly hot.

Like many slow-cooked dishes, it can taste even better the following day, once all the flavors have had more time to develop.